Susan B. Geffen

The voice of hope for millions of aging individuals and those caring for elderly parents is gerontologist, elder law attorney, and author Susan B. Geffen, who warns that lack of preparedness puts seniors at risk in the last chapter of life. She comes to the aid of baby boomers and seniors facing difficult elder-care decisions and urges baby boomers to confront the prospect of their own future before it’s too late.

Geffen is on a mission to awaken the nation to “the nightmare that could confront us as we age if we are not informed.” Armed with a rare combination of the highest-level credentials and experience in all aspects of elder care, she speaks with authority when she warns that the “age tsunami” is looming, and with it comes a tidal wave of issues that are not even on our radar. She points out that every seven seconds someone turns 65 in this country. By 2050, there will be an unprecedented 90 million Americans over the age of 65. The largest-growing population is 85 years and older. “None of us can turn back the hands of time,” says Geffen. “Yet few Americans have taken steps to cope with the physical, legal, financial, and emotional challenges of growing older in America. There is a pandemic of ignorance on the subject.”

Geffen is driven to educate and empower baby boomers and seniors and ultimately to “change the future of what it is to be old in the U.S.” She’s just as concerned about the 78 million baby boomers in America as she is about those in their golden years. Many of us will face suffering, neglect, and abuse in nursing homes if we don’t act now, she says. “The truth is, it does not have to be that way for anyone. Understanding your options and developing a financial plan are key to avoiding this fate. Even those who have no savings need to learn about the public programs and benefits that are available to them.”

Formerly an elder law professor, Geffen has a gift for helping the layperson understand even the most complex issues. Attended by thousands, Geffen’s nationwide seminars, “Raising UP Your Parents” educate adult children of elderly parents and seniors. Covering topics such as Alzheimer’s, assisted living, estate planning, and home care, the symposia guide them in making the right decisions for their loved ones. Geffen has appeared on national news programs and has hosted one-hour shows on KABC Talk Radio in Los Angeles. She is the producer and host of the “Elder Life Series” on YouTube, which highlights many of the issues Susan confronts each day in her work with clients and features interviews with clients and outstanding professionals in the field of elder care.

As a family elder care consultant, Geffen champions victims of elder abuse, provides geriatric care management, helps veterans obtain benefits, resolves family conflicts over a loved one’s care, guides the search for the appropriate long-term care facility, and serves as an advocate to secure benefits and protect assets. “I am in the trenches every day with older adults who cannot afford to care for themselves and families who cannot take them in,” she says. “Many people wait until they are in a crisis mode. Typically, a family member is being discharged from the hospital and there is no plan, only sheer panic. At that point, a nursing home may be the only choice.” Geffen is so concerned about the plight of the elderly that she has written Take That Nursing Home and Shove It!, a book that will serve as a road map to aging on your own terms.

Probably the most important book ever to address the challenges of the elderly today, "Take That Nursing Home and Shove It!" tackles the unfolding crisis of the age tsunami on every front and is intended to motivate millions to take charge of their future. In this comprehensive work, Geffen provides individuals and families with everything they need to know about aging successfully. She fights for seniors’ “right to a dignified future, right to freedom from abuse and neglect, and right to independence.” Geffen says most nursing homes provide none of these. In her intensive study of nursing homes, she found that many routinely administer anti-psychotic drugs—meant to treat schizophrenia—to people suffering from dementia “as a form of chemical restraint,” increasing the risk of stroke or death. Other examples in the book range from allowing bedsores to develop into life-threatening infections to feeding solid food to an Alzheimer’s patient who has difficulty swallowing. Geffen provides the reader with real-life examples from her work with clients and shows readers how to stay out of such disreputable facilities or choose an appropriate facility.

But Geffen does not merely reveal intolerable conditions. Her genius lies in proposing how they can be avoided or remedied. In her book she expounds on virtually every major concern of elderly people and their families. She provides the tools for “aging in place” and shows how to make informed assessments of alternative care facilities, such as assisted living and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), senior apartments, subsidized senior housing, and board and care facilities. She discusses ageism, the derogatory view that old people don’t matter; the difference between Medicare and Medicaid and how to qualify; financial and estate planning; the importance of long-term care insurance; downsizing to build savings; various types of powers of attorney; and resources available through the Social Security Administration, the Veterans Administration, Medicaid, and community-based programs that help offset or completely pay for long-term care.

Citing a 2011 MetLife study, Geffen says most people aren’t even aware that after age 65 they will likely need long-term care, which currently averages $72,000 a year. She points out that by age 85, people have a 50 percent risk of developing Alzheimer’s, yet few Americans have any notion how they will pay for the medical care. “This study shows that forty-two percent of respondents incorrectly believe that health insurance, Medicare, or disability insurance will cover the costs of long-term care,” she says. For baby boomers, who typically have insufficient savings, she says, “The future is already here. It’s time to pay attention and get our own affairs in order.” After reading this book, Geffen promises, “Readers will know every possible way to finance long-term care.” With the tools Geffen provides, adult children need not go bankrupt while caring for their aging parents or burden their own children. “Many people mistakenly believe they’ll be covered by resources that don’t pay for care,” she says. “The government will not sprinkle magic fairy dust on us and make it all right. We have a personal responsibility to understand what we are up against and to develop a plan, independent of the government.”

In her book Geffen emphasizes that preventive health care can go a long way toward ensuring a dignified existence in old age. “Chronic health issues and the need for skilled care often emanate from smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, poor eating habits, and obesity,” she says.

Geffen is also the author of "The Seven Triggers of Mental Health Decline in Seniors" and "Susan’s Essential Book of Elder Care Forms". On her website, www.susanbgeffen.com, she shares vital information and recommends her personally vetted care facilities through “Susan’s Picks,” her online referral service with current listings in Los Angeles, soon to expand nationwide.

Filled with humor and understanding, "Take That Nursing Home and Shove It!" is a call to action. The book makes an impassioned plea to the elderly and their families to wake up to the realities of aging before it is too late. How we live in our old age is one of the most important personal issues facing us in our lifetime. Geffen clears the path to financial and personal independence, proclaiming, “You do not have to endure unacceptable conditions at the end of life if you have a plan, a voice, and the impetus to use it. The end of our lives should be beautiful, joyful, and lovely—yes, lovely.”